ULTIMATE CHARITY FACTS 2013

Impress your friends and family with five facts about how people around the world donate.

The CAF World Giving Index 2013 report focuses on three kinds of charitable behaviour - donating money to charity, volunteering and helping a stranger - across 135 countries, to illustrate the nature of giving around the world in 2012. But did you know:

1. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS RECLAIMED FIRST PLACE

In 2012, proportionally more Americans gave in some way than in any other country. As a result, the US rose to first place in the rankings, a position it has traded with Australia since the World Giving Index was first published in 2010.

The US is followed by Canada, Myanmar and New Zealand, all in joint second place.

2. GIVING IS CONTINUING TO GROW, DESPITE A CONTINUED FALL IN THE GROWTH OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

The average percentage of people donating money, volunteering time, and helping a stranger globally all grew in 2012 compared to 2011.

3. GLOBAL YOUTH ARE DRIVING THE RISE IN VOLUNTEERING

Since 2011, the biggest increase in participation in volunteering has been among 15-24 year olds (from 18.4% in 2011 to 20.6% in 2012). This age group has gone from being the least likely to volunteer in 2008 to the second most likely to volunteer in 2012.

4. MYANMAR SHOWS THAT GIVING IS NOT JUST ABOUT WEALTH

85% of the adult population of Myanmar said that they’d donated money to charity in 2012 in the month prior to being surveyed.

The Top 10 countries most likely to donate money to charity include eight countries not in the G20. This shows that high rates of all types of giving can be found in countries not commonly associated with philanthropy

5. WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO GIVE MONEY THAN MEN

Since 2008, women are more likely than men to donate money to charity at a global level. Meanwhile, the gap between the two genders in terms of inclination to volunteer remains at 2.7% - the same as it was in 2008.

However, proportionally, more men are helping strangers than ever before.